BY TONY REHAGEN
From the cockpit a thousand feet above Jekyll Island, you can see forever. As you make your approach, the island comes sharply into focus. That’s the Sidney Lanier Bridge, brackish Turtle River, and the Jekyll Island Causeway to the west; to the east, marshlands, white dunes, and miles of shimmering ocean. Set your radio to 123.05, UNICOM frequency for the Jekyll Island Airport, and call in the tail number of your single-engine aircraft. “November 4-1-4-5-3 entering a left downwind for Runway 36.” At 3,715 feet long, the runway is too short for most commercial jetliners. But that means plenty of freedom for private pilots to land their small planes, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the island for the day. Then, just before night falls, gas up, taxi out, and say goodbye to Earth’s gravitational restraints as you advance the throttle, pull back on the yoke, and soar toward the horizon.
